England vs India 4th Test Debate

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England line-up:

1) Andrew Strauss (C)
2) Alistair Cook
3) Ian Bell
4) Kevin Pietersen
5) Eoin Morgan
6) Ravi Bopara
7) Matt Prior (WK)
8) Tim Bresnan
9) Stuart Broad
10) Graeme Swann
11) James Anderson

India line up:

1) Gautam Gambhir
2) Virender Sehwag
3) Rahul Dravid
4) Sachin Tendulkar
5) VVS Laxman
6) Suresh Raina
7) MS Dhoni (C,WK)
8) Amit Mishra
9) Ishant Sharma
10) Sreesanth
11) RP Singh

msp83 wrote:Captain Cool is angry, very , verry angry. and unlike usual, its showing.

I dunno. I thought Dhoni looked angry at Edgbaston. It looked like he was trying to hit the ball out of the park with some of his shots. Seems he was able to channel his anger into a couple of very aggressive innings. Looks like he'll have to do it again if India are to avoid the follow-on.

I really feel sorry for him. Although he's had a poor series keeping wicket, he's at least showing some fight with the bat, unlike too many of his team mates.

The rain has saved India from being even more in trouble tonight. They don't deserve to be saved by this poor weather in the SE. Without a day lost we would have scored 700 and they'd be even further behind!

If england had 2 top class spinners playing then I'd say that India have no chance of getting out of this . Even with only Swann attacking them they are deep in it and could lose plenty of wickets on Sunday.

Well done to Bell on a very good 200 that will stand out in this series of big scores.

India under the cosh and crumpled. Haven't we seen England do it often enough in the past? This is a complete psychological crushing that may have implications for our tour to India next time.

Cowshot wrote:Anyone know the longest ever duck? Most balls faced then out for 0?

Geoff Allot for NZ, 77 balls and 101 minutes. His last-wicket partnership with Chris Harris helped save a test vs South Africa by delaying the follow-on.
Though he could have scored quite a few last-ball-of-the-over singles in that innings

Credit to England again. Just so ruthless which is great to see. Have to feel sorry for India. Not being able to field the same team over the tests. Players like Dhoni and Dravid have been fantastic with the bat. Just their bowling outfit has let them down.

Thanks Kiwi. I had no idea it was so noble a duck!

...must have driven SA quackers.

intresting news that morgan is skipper for the ireland game, cooky having a rest already lol.

Sehwag has a series average of 2.33 and has been out 3 times in 8 deliveries in the series. Gaumbhir must be injured for him not to have come out, and other than Dravid and Dhoni (solely in the last test) no-one has stood up for India. No fight and no hope. 4-0 England, only the weather can stop us.

Gambhir has concussion, may not play today either. If he does and gets hit he may have to come right back off.

The Ireland game is very much being treated as a developmnt game. Morgans being given experience as a potential future captain, hardly suprising since aside from KP hs th only automatic pick batsman in the squad.
Theres a whole bunch of young players being given a debut in that game, onee or two may stay in side for the India games. It suggest to me that they have finaly given up on the likes of Wright and Yardy.

Boycott was being realy rude about Sehwag, especially he found out his ODI batting average was higher.


Englands first choice lineup (with Trott) has a combined test average of about 425 now, ridiculous.

Nasty bit of whiplash for Gambhir. Fletcher just said not concussion, but I bet he's got a headache!

Swann could wrap this innings up really quite quickly. I hope so - love watching him weaving his spells.

Weather looks iffy. We aren't going to get a full day.

A little easier for India than i thought , perhaps that bloody roller has temporarily flattened some life out of it. Although it is a third day oval pitch really.

Strauss showing his normal lack of fielding nous on a few occasions. There ought to be more pressure from Swann and the field if its set right.

Will Gambhir come out and bat at all?
Will Dravid have to just stay there all the time?

Oh dear. Scratchy innings from Dhoni which didn't really help India's cause.

Now England are into the bowlers. Even with Dravid's heroics I can't see India avoiding the follow-on.

As I type this Dravid hits a couple to make his ton. 15 boundaries and 168 balls. Talk about keeping your head when all about you are losing theirs.

Dravid vs England once more.

He's not had a bad series considering its 11 vs 1!

Dravid the lone fighter, yet again!. And he'll have to carry on this innings and repeat it all over again to drag the match to the 5th day.

Dravid should probably be man of the series, he's been constantly brilliant.

I still say Broad. Without his contributions with bat and ball, we'd probably have lost the 2nd test and he's been consistently excellent.

mishra and dravid putting on good partnership!

we need a wicket!

This is pretty impressive stuff from these two

Yes, i was hoping my curse would work .
Mishra gone now but what an effort by him

Gambhir at last, but in what state he's in? Will he open in the 2nd innings? or the donky's task be left to poor old Dravid?

Gambhir needs to toughen up

Good support from Mishra. Good to see the tail wagging a bit. Great catch by "Diving" Bell to get him out.

Wonder if Gambhir's in the mood to bag a sackful of runs?

Its the new ball time now, Gambhir can face up to some tough questions. KP has been friendly, and Swanny just couldn't get that one wicket that would have got him going, but the new ball will be a stronger, harder challenge.

we're no1 come on!

Could we be about to witness India going past 300 for the first time this series?

Well we need a wicket soon here or this one may be getting away after all...Still expect India to follow on but the bowlers have had to work hard and taking ten second time around may not be so easy.
Dravid is doing a great job for India...

India seem to have rebuilt The Wall...and Gambhir is following his example.

And there it goes! Nice bounce from Broad does the trick

Not much support left for Dravid now...

Spoke too soon! Broad snaffles Gambhir right after the drinks break and the follow-on beckons for India.

Guessing he hasn't fully recovred from that bump on the noggin yesterday.

And close to getting RP Singh with each of his first two balls...

Wicket seems to have refreshed Broad (or maybe they put something in his drink at the break )

Come on boys, they're only 25 short of 300! Can't let them get it!

RP Singh seems to think he's Sehwag Playing shots at everything ...

Jimmy having a few words with him ... all friendly-like?

Gotta give all the credit in the World to Dravid, he's some player. Whilst the rankings may not agree, I think he's the best batsmen in the World. Tecnically wonderful and the skill and concentration is second to none.

2 more fours for RP Singh!

Jimmy not best pleased...India will indeed pass 300 it seems .

But it is the second innings that will really count. I can see a lot of work for Swann...

Only 10 away now. Dravid soldiering on and closing on his 150. Singh swinging his bat, racking up the runs and providing good support.

Finally, a 300+ total for India. Still don't think they'll get the 392 they need though. That said, Strauss might decide to bat anyway, to give the bowlers a break.

bresnan struggling with the footholes and conserving energy for 2nd time round!


RP swing gone, come on bres!!!!!!!!!

Won't really have time though , will he , wolfe?

I mean it'll be tea before this innings ends , so even a couple of hours batting ...

never mind Bresnan strikes - good catch Jimmy ...surely won't be long now...

Change of bowler and change of field does the trick, Singh's brief but entertaining innings is ended as he offers a catch to Anderson, off the bowling of Bresnan. Nicely worked by England.

...and it wasn't long

Dravid carries his bat ...well played

Ten minutes he can start again

great stuff from england now lets wrap it up!

Well, I wasn't expecting that. Sree normally bashes a few runs, but this time he hits his second ball straight to Morgan and goes for a duck.

India 300 all out and Dravid unluckily stranded on 146. Sterling effort from The Wall.

And England do enforce the follow-on...

And I note we were wrong ...India didn't pass 300 - they only reached it

I guess Bresnan can open the bowling second time around now he's got his tail up ...

Turned off the TMS comms and 2 wkts in an over. !

England have been awesome again .

Less awesome today - more persevering ...it has been hard work thanks to Dravid and a couple of spirited tail enders.

I see Jimmy is straight back with the new ball and nearly gets one immediately...
don't think Sehwag will be blocking

I feel sorry for Dravid, he is pretty much the only Indian batsman to take the challenge to the English bowlers.

Expensive opening over from Jimmy

I've been pretty disappointed with Swann so far. Yes he got 3 wickets, but one was a tailender and Raina is basically a walking wicket. On a turning pitch he hasn't really shown his class.

Before you call me a hater etc, I've followed England for 33 years, so I've seen good and the bad, so I know what I'm talking about.

Awesomes in the background but not for long.

For India well there's no glory here , only the degree to which they will have been sh*t upon by Tuesday.

So whats left in the tank for our 4 bowlers and back up guys Boppie and KP

The Indians are really going after Jimmy here

Anderson has a problem here, why did we risk him? We have an important ODI series to follow